Atomizing device



Dec. 16, 1952 JEHLICKA 2,621,966

ATOMIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. 11, 1950 JNVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 16, 1952.

ATOMIZING DEVICE Josef Jehlicka, Seefeld, Austria Application February 11, 1950, Serial No. 143,624 In France February 16, 1949 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an atomizing device and has for its object to provide a novel atomizing device having a rotary nozzle in the form of two cp-axia'l disks which provide between them a very narrow or minute annular discharge opening or slit through which liquid is discharged in atomized form by the action of centrifugal force.

A further object of the invention is to produce an atomizing device of the above type in which the width of the annular discharge slit can be varied by varying the speed of rotation of the nozzle element and thereby varying the intensity of the centrifugal force developed in the liquid within the nozzle.

In the device herein shown the peripheral por tions of the two disks comprising the rotary nozzle are normally yieldingly held in contact with each other by means of a suitable spring, the construction being such that when the disks are rapidly rotated, the centrifugal force developed in the liquid between the disks acts thereon to separate them slightly thus providing a very narrow annular discharge slit between the peripheral portions of the disks through which the liquid is discharged by centrifugal force in a finely atomized condition.

It is obvious that with such an arrangement it is possible to regulate the width of the discharge slit by modifying the speed of rotation of the disks, because the centrifugal force developed in the liquid between the disks is a function of the rotation thereof.

In the drawings:

The single figure is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating my improved atomizing device.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of the invention, the coaxial disks which constitute the rotary nozzle are indicated at 4 and 5, the peripheral edge portions 5' and 6 of which are normally yieldingly held in contact as will be presently described. Said disks are shaped to present between them a liquid-receiving chamber 15, and the disk 4 is shown as rigidly carried by a tubular shaft I which may be rap-idly rotated by any suitable means (not shown). The liquid to be atomized is fed to the chamber I5 through the shaft I, the latter having one or more openings It therein for this purpose.

The nozzle device is shown as supported by a suitable casing 3 which is mounted on any ap propriate support I7, and for this purpose a ball bearing 2 is interposed between the tubular shaft I and the casing. This ball bearing comprises 2 a ball race I8 rigid with the shaft I and a second ball race I9 which is supported on a flange 20 extending inwardly from the wall of the casing 3, the balls 2 of the ball bearing being confined between the ball races.

The disk 5 is acted on by a suitable spring means which yieldingly presses it toward the disk 4. Such spring means is illustrated as a coil spring I which encircles the shaft I and is backed at its upper end by a flange 8 rigid with the shaft I, said spring applying its yielding pressure against the disk 4 through the medium of a ball bearing. Such ball bearing comprises an upper ball race 9 against which the spring 1 acts, said race being rigid with and carried by a sleeve Ill that surrounds the shaft I. The ball bearing also includes a lower ball race 2I which is fast with a tubular stem II that is integral with the disk 5 and surrounds the tubular shaft I, the balls I3 of the ball bearing being received between the ball races 9 and 2!. It will be noted that the disks 4 and 5 are shaped to diverge from each other from their outer peripheral portion toward the center.

When the nozzle element is in a static condition, the spring I yieldingly presses the peripheral portions 6, B of the disks together thus closing the nozzle. When, however, the shaft I is rotated rapidly, the rotation of the disk 4 will produce rotative movement in the liquid in the chamber I5 and will also cause the disk 5 to rotat-e. The rotation of the body of liquid in the chamber I5 develops therein a centrifugal force which acting against the diverging faces of the disks 4 and 5 tends to separate them slightly against the action of the spring I and thereby produce between them a narrow annular discharge slit having a width on the order of a few hundredths of a millimeter.

The centrifugal force developed in the liquid in the chamber I5 will also force the liquid out through the narrow annular discharge slit thereby provided, such liquid being delivered from the annular slit in atomized form. The width of the discharge slit between the peripheral portions 6, 6' of the disks is governed by the intensity of the centrifugal force developed in the liquid in the chamber I5 and the latter, in turn, is controlled by the speed of rotation of the nozzle. Hence by varying the speed of rotation of the nozzle, it is possible to control the width of the annular discharge slit between the disks and thus to control the character of the atomized spray delivered from the nozzle.

The upper disk 5 receives its rotative movement solely by the friction between it and the rotating liquid in the chamber l5 and hence a certain amount of slippage will occur between the disk 5 and the liquid so that said disk 5 will rotate at a slightly lower speed than the disk 4. This slippage between the peripheral surfaces 6, 6' of the two disks is advantageous because it operates to crush and pulverize any solid particles that may be located between the surfaces of said disks at their peripheral portions.

The upper disk 5 is shown as being provided with retarding means which tends to increase the difference in speed of rotation between the two disks. As herein shown the stem l I of the upper disk 5 has a collar 22 fast thereon which is provided with a plurality of radially extendin blades M which serve to retard the rotative movement of the disk 5. If desired the interior of the casing 3 may be filled with some suitable liquid, in which case the blades 14 will have a greater retarding effect than if said space were filled with air.

I claim:

1. An atomizer comprising a nozzle element presenting a hollow rotary shaft capable of high speed rotation, a disk member fast on said shaft, a second disk member loose on said shaft, the adjacent faces of the disk members being smooth and having a diverging relation from the periphery thereof to the shaft, thereby forming between them a chamber to contain the liquid to be atomized, said shaft having an opening through which liquid can be delivered to said chamber, a spring acting on the loose disk member and normally holding its periphery yieldingly against the periphery of the fast disk member, thereby closing said chamber at its periphery, whereby high speed rotation of the shaft and fast disk member induces by friction a rotary motion of both the liquid in said chamber and said loose disk member, thereby developing in the liquid a centrifugal force which by its action against the diverging faces of the disk members separates them slightly against the action of the spring to form a narrow annular discharge slit between said disk members at their peripheries through which liquid within the chamber is discharged in atomized form by said centrifugal force.

2. An atomizer as defined in claim 1 in which the loose disk member is provided with projecting retarding blades which serve to retard the rotary motion of said loose disk by the action f the air against said blades.

J OSEF JEHLICKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 992,348 Goldsmith et al. May 16, 1911 1,695,030 Scheminger, Jr Dec. 11, 1928 2,473,035 Meade et a1 June 14, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 761,881 France Mar. 29, 1934 

